Gear-shift lever



Sept. 8. 1925.

O. A. ANDERSON GEAR SHIFT LEVER original Filed April 25, 1921 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES OLAF A, ANDERSON, 'oFfHAMILTom OHIO.

GEAR-'SHIFT LEVER.

Original application filed April 25, 1921, Serial No. 464,121. Divided 'and this application filed June 9, j 1922. Serial No. 566,987.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, Giner A. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hamilton, county of Butler, State of i Ohio, have invented certain new and useful vention is to provide a locking device which j will render the gear-shift lever ineective i to shift the gears although permitting the lever to be moved freely in any direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device which may be controlled by a key adapted to be inserted in a 3 lock at the top ofthe gear-shift lever and in which the key will be entirely housed Within the usual knob at the top of the lever when the lever is operative.

Other objects of the invention and the features of novelty will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through i a lever embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and n Y Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fgf Fig. 4: is a perspective view of parts shown inFig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the parts in a dierent relation.

This application is a` divisionmof my application gli-464,121, filed April 25, 1921.v

he form of the invention illustrated comprises a lever formed of two sections, the section 12 representing the gear-shifting section and the section 13, the handle. The section 12 has a hemispherical portion 72 arranged in a spherical socket in the section 13 and being retained therein by a member 13 having a screw threaded connection with the member 13, proper. The section l2 pIOjeCtS thI'Ough a Substantially rectangular slot or opening' 60 in the member 13 and has the' flattened sides 73 which cooperate with the sides of the opening 60 .and coniine the relative movement of the lever sections to a single plane.

rai-ranged in the socket of the section 13, above the hemispherical part 72, is a corresponding hemisphericalmember 74 having a stein 75 extending longitudinally of the section 13 and rotatable therein. 4The adjoining faces of the members 72v and 711 are provided with jaws 76 and 77, respectively, arrangedy for interengagement at the ends, as indicated in Fig. 5, and when thus engaged the section 12` is held againstv mo`vement relative to the section "13, but when the part 74 is rotated vto bring its jaws 77 into registration with the spaces between the jaws .76, as indicated in Fig. 4f, relative movement of the lever sections is possible.

A tnbular rod 78 is secured to the stem 5, as by a pin 79, and carries, in its 'upper end, a plug 30 and the oppositely projecting pins 81 and 82, the outerv ends of which project through circumferentially extending slots 33 in thesection 13 and into suitable openings in the sleeve 84 which forms a part of the knob 25 which is rotatable on the lever section 13.A rilherc is also secured to the upper end of the sectionj13, by a pin or in any other suitable manner, a plug or adapter 20 which, in turn, has rigidly attached to it, as by the threads l21 and pin 22, the barrel 23 of a pin lock. Thecylinder 24 of this lock is housed in anl opening in the knob 25, this knob being formed of two sections which are screwed together at 26. The cylinder 211 and the knob are secured together against relative rotation by the pin 27. The sleeve 84E has aflange 29 arranged between the ,bottoni of the cylinder2ty and a shoulder in the knob, and is held against rotation relative to the knob by 'a pin 31. The lock, comprising they barrel23- and the cylinder 24therefore, serves to secure the. knob25 against rotation on the handle sec-` tion 13 when the key 32is removed from the barrel 23 according to the well-known principle of the pin lock illustrated.

lVhen the knob, 25 is rotated the tubular rod '.78 will also be rotatedybecause of vthe permanent connection with the knob through the pins 81 and 82 and the slots 83 are made or" sufficient length so that the knob 25 may be rotated suliciently to turn the member 7i los from the position shown in Fig. t to the position shown in Fig. 5. If, when the member .74 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the key 32 is removed Vfrom the lock, the knob will be thereby locked against rotation and the handle section 13 of the lever may be swung back and forth without moving the gear-shifting` section 12, andwithrthe parts in this relation it will be impossible to shift the gears of a vehicle. When, however, the key 32 is inserted in the, lock and the knob turned to position the member 74, as shown in Fig; 5, the lever sections will be rigidly connected together and act as a unit and it will then be. possible to shift gears.

A spring 85 is preferably arranged in suitable openings therefor in the parts 72 and 74 and, by the tension exertedl on these parts, tends to hold'the lever section 12 in the normal relation to the section 13, indicated in Fig. 1, even though the parts are arranged as indicated in Fig. 11 and permit relative movement of the sections.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever comprising two sections hinged together, a rotary member arranged in the hinged connectionV between the sections and adapted in one position to prevent relative movement of said sections and in another position to permit such relative movement, and means for rotating said member. v

,i 2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever comprising two sections having a connection permitting relative swinging movement, one of said sections having its end provided with alternately arranged jaws and spaces, and a rotatable member having jaws adapted when in regis-- tration with the first-mentioned jaws to form a rigid connection between said sections preventing relative movement therebetween and when in registration with said spaces to permit relative movement of said sections. v Y

3.*Ina device of the class described, the combination of a lever comprising two sections having a ball and socket connection, tieV ball of which is provided' with alternately arranged jaws and spaces,and a rotatable member in the socket of said connection having aws adapted when in registration with the first-mentioned jaws to rigidly connect said sections and prevent relative movement therebetween and when in registration with said spaces to permit relative movement of lsaid sections.

4:. In aY device of the class described, the combination of two members arranged endto-end and having cooperating ends and having a ball and socket connection the ball of which is of substantially hemispherical form and provided with alternately arranged jaws and spaces, and a rotatable member in the socket of said connection having means adapted when in registration with the first-mentioned-jaws to rigidly connect said two members and when in registration with said spaces to permit relative movement between said members.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of two members arranged endto-end and having cooperating ends and having a ball and socket connection the ball o which is of substantially hemispherical form and provided with alternately arranged jaws and spaces, a rotatable member in the socket of said connection having aws adapted when in registration with the firstmentioned jaws to rigidly connect said two members and when in registration with said spaces to permit relative movementrbetween said members, and a spring between the said members adapted to hold said two members in their normal relation when the parts are arranged for relative movement therebetween.

6. In a device. of the class described, the combination of two members arranged endto-en-d and having cooperating ends and h ava ball and socket connection the ball of which is of substantially hemispherical form and provided with alternately arranged jawsand spaces, a rotatable member in th@J socket of said connection having jaws adapted when in registration with the first-mentioned jaws to rigidly connect said two members and when in registration with said spaces to permit relative movement Abetween said members, and a rotatable knob on one of said two members having connection with said rotatable member for actuating the latter.

7; In a device of the class described, the combination of two members arranged endto-end and having cooperating ends and having a ball and socket connection the ball of which is of substantially hemispherical form and provided with alternately arranged jaws and spaces, a rotatable member in the socket of said connection having jaws adapted when in registration with the firstmentioned jaws to rigidly connect said two members and when in registration with said spaces to permit relative movement between said members, a rotatable knob on one of said two members having connection with said rotatableJ member for actuating the latter, and means for locking said knob against rotation.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature. OLAF A; ANDEldO-L 

